Incidence of nutritional support complications in patient hospitalized in wards. Multicentric study

• Published in: Colombia médica (Cali, Colombia) Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 147 - 153
• Main Authors: Agudelo, Gloria María, Giraldo, Nubia Amparo, Aguilar, Nora Luz, Restrepo, Beatriz Elena, Vanegas, Marcela, Alzate, Sandra, Martínez, Mónica, Gamboa, Sonia Patricia, Castaño, Eliana, Barbosa, Janeth, Román, Juliana, Serna, Ángela María, Hoyos, Gloria Marcela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad del Valle - Facultad de Salud 01-04-2012; Universidad del Valle
• Subjects: nutritional support, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, complications, adults, hospitalization; Original
• ISSN: 0120-8322; 1657-9534
• DOI: 10.25100/cm.v43i2.830

Introduction: Nutritional support generates complications that must be
detected and treated on time. Objective: To estimate the incidence of
some complications of nutritional support in patients admitted to
general hospital wards who received nutritional support in six
high-complexity institutions. Methods: Prospective, descriptive and
multicentric study in patients with nutritional support; the variables
studied were medical diagnosis, nutritional condition, nutritional
support duration, approach, kind of formula, and eight complications.
Results: A total of 277 patients were evaluated; 83% received enteral
nutrition and 17% received parenteral nutrition. Some 69.3% presented
risk of malnourishment or severe malnourishment at admittance. About
35.4% of those receiving enteral nutrition and 39.6% of the ones who
received parenteral nutrition had complications; no significant
difference per support was found (p = 0.363). For the enteral
nutrition, the most signi!cant complication was the removal of the
catheter (14%), followed by diarrhea (8.3%); an association between the
duration of the enteral support with diarrhea, constipation and removal
of the catheter was found (p < 0.05). For parenteral nutrition,
hyperglycemia was the complication of highest incidence (22.9%),
followed by hypophosphatemia (12.5%); all complications were associated
with the duration of the support (p < 0.05). Nutritional support was
suspended in 24.2% of the patients. Conclusions: Complications with
nutritional support in hospital-ward patients were frequent, with the
removal of the catheter and hyperglycemia showing the highest
incidence. Duration of the support was the variable that revealed an
association with complications. Strict application of protocols could
decrease the risk for complications and boost nutritional support
benefits.